Let’s face it — not all bridal shops are lucky enough to carry the most trusted, most elegant and most beautiful wedding gowns. Not all wedding shops are lucky enough to be able to sell popular designs by equally popular bridal fashion designers. And this is why HITCHED! Bridal Hong Kong considers itself privileged to be able to carry the bridal dresses of one of the world’s most stylish and most in demand wedding gown designers, Rita Vinieris, who is behind the Rivini bridal collections.

The Rivini bridal collections have really made quite the impact on runways across the world — and for very good reason. Rivini designer Rita Vinieris knows exactly what blushing brides want and need for the most important dress they will wear on the biggest day of their lives.

Take the case of the Rivini Fall 2012 collection. A lot of fashion observers praised the Rivini gowns’ bold, painterly feel. The Rivini bridal gowns did not merely settle for the ordinary whites and ecrus and ivories. Instead, there were soft pinks and rich purples. The bold colors indeed caught a lot of fashionistas’ attention and everyone could not help but love the Rivini wedding gowns. As a result, brides now want to buy Rivini wedding dresses and exchange their “I do’s” in a gown that managed to get the nod of many fashion pundits.

And because Rivini wedding dresses are now the toast of the town, HITCHED! Bridal Hong Kong is now also, as a result, a favorite go-to place of brides and bridesmaids. HITCHED! Bridal Hong Kong carries Rivini wedding gowns with pride.

So you were proposed to, you said yes and now you can’t wait to get hitched! Since you’ve always wanted to exchange your “I do’s” at a wedding destination, you now need to prepare for what could be your own version of an epic, romantic wedding at some luxurious country or beautiful resort or lush garden. Whatever and wherever your preferred wedding destination is, HITCHED! Bridal Hong Kong has a few quick and easy tips for you as the blushing bride to be to keep in mind:

1. Check your budget. A lot of excited brides often think that they should go all-out for their weddings. Prudent brides, on the other hand, would rather focus on the marriage that will come after the wedding. So you might want to breathe a little bit and think about the money that you will spend for your wedding. Make sure that you have a budget. If you can well afford a wedding in Italy, then go for it.

2. Check the weather. You might be so hyped up over the thought of having a wedding at exotic Bora Bora but you might have chosen a month when most typhoons or rains occur. Hence, best if you check the weather, seasons or at least the most ideal months to have a wedding at your preferred wedding destination.

3. Float the idea of your wedding destination among family and friends. Unless you only want the two of you to be present at your wedding day, of course it will be nice to see family and friends during your big day. Ask if they’re willing to travel all the way to your preferred wedding destination. Ask for feedback.

Are you planning to celebrate the holiday season in glorious and fascinating Macau? The casinos are not the only attractions you should be excited about. We have something extra special to share with you!

If you plan to ring in the New Year in Macau then why not celebrate and have a good time at the most luxurious high rise urban resort in Macau — Banyan Tree Macau.

Banyan Tree Macau should be your one and only stop in Macau. Not only are its rooms to die for, they also have the best amenities for its valuable customers. And here’s more — leave it to the Banyan Tree Macau culinary team to prepare the best and most delicious New Year’s Eve buffet and New Year’s Day buffet brunch!

On New Year’s Eve, Banyan Tree Macau’s signature restaurant Saffrons offers the most expansive buffet selection including the freshest dishes and tastiest wines for only MOP588+. Who knows, you might even meet a new friend or two during dinner! It will be, after all, New Year’s Eve!

New Year’s Day 2012 will also be extra special when you join the Banyan Tree Macau New Year’s Day buffet brunch. MOP 488+ gets you access to gustatory delights.

Reserve a table today. Bring your family and friends as well and welcome 2012 in style!

Not sure what to get your godson or goddaughter for Christmas? If you’ve been scratching your head for days now and you’re getting a bit rattled now that Christmas is fast approaching and you’re still at a loss as to what to get them, then we bring good news! Hocusadabra, an online store that sells unique, consciously curated toys and products from all over the world, has a great, wide selection of gifts for girls and boys of all ages!

Hocusadabra only sells BPA free, toxin free and interesting products that care for, entertain and educate children so you can really be sure that you’re giving a gift that will be treasured for a long time. What’s also great about shopping for last minute Christmas gifts over at Hocusadabra is that they can also include personalized gift cards. This means you practically don’t have anything much else to do except wait for your godson or goddaughter to call you and thank you for the wonderful gift!

Log on to the official Hocusadabra website and see what they have to offer. Now if you’re still confused as to what to choose, just give them a call at +852 2544 6835 and they can present you with great Christmas gift choices. Happy shopping!

Ever since American fashion designer Lela Rose, who was born in Texas, first introduced her wedding gowns to the public, everyone already knew that she was going to be a hit. In fact, her rose to stardom was almost inevitable especially when she designed the outfits worn by sisters Jenna and Barbara Bush at their father’s presidential inauguration. After that fateful commission, Lela Rose has counted celebrities like Molly Sims, Jessica Simpson, Ashley Judd, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Selma Blair and Mischa Barton as her clients.

These days, Lela Rose is again making quite a splash after she showed the latest dresses included in her Lela Rose Spring 2012 collection. As expected, the wedding gowns were amazing – so amazing that brides will not help but heave a sigh and gape in awe when they see one, much less try one on. Included in her Lela Rose Spring 2012 collection are a number of strapless wedding gowns, with full, tulle skirts. There are also gowns that have details like gray belts around the waist, lace details on the bodice and seemingly wrap around silk hems.

To see more of Lela Rose’s creations, you can head on down to HITCHED! Bridal Hong Kong. You can also set an appointment with them via www.hitchedbridal.com This bridal boutique carries Lela Rose wedding gowns.

So let’s face it. Whether we like it or not, there is a big chance for all of us to not follow our diets this month of December. Because of the many Christmas and New Year parties, we are all at the risk of either overeating or eating something we know our bodies do not need. So what do we do? Simple: bring something healthy and delicious at the same time to your Christmas and New Year parties!

Enter Edible Arrangements Hong Kong and its handcrafted, healthy, fresh and juicy fruit bouquets. These healthy fruit arrangements are the best choice especially for the holidays! Even experts agree — they say that eating fruits have a lot of benefits including weight control or weight management, more energy, reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of developing cancers, potential to slow down the aging process as well as reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. So as you can see, there’s hardly any excuse for all of us not to bring a healthy fruit bouquet to our holiday parties.

Need recommendations? Edible Arrangements Hong Kong has a stunning Merry Gingerbread Men Bouquet with Dipped Apples. For only HK $1108, you can bring this healthy alternative to candy and wine! Be the star of the party with this delicious fruit bouquet overflowing with pineapple gingerbread men, strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, apple wedges, honeydew and even semisweet chocolate. You might also want to bring the Very Merry Festival with half of the strawberries dipped in chocolate. Your party will definitely have the very Merry Christmas feel!

It may not actually be a popular choice among Hong Kong brides but a lot have donned short wedding dresses. In fact, more and more brides of today find short wedding gowns more practical, “funky” and cool. These short wedding dresses apparently project the image that the brides who wear them are fun, adventurous and pretty “no frills.” But should brides in Hong Kong now opt for short wedding dresses? Do you think this can be a trend real soon? Here are a few of our thoughts.

Short wedding dresses are suitable for outdoor summer weddings. If your wedding ceremony will be held at noon or at an hour when the sun is at its warmest, then it may be better to wear a short wedding dress. After all, do you really want to be all covered up when the heat will already become so unbearable?

Short wedding dresses can also be great for beach weddings or for weddings where the bride needs to walk on an aisle other than that’s carpeted or dry. After all, which bride would ever want to stain her precious wedding gown?

So as you can see, while long and flowing wedding gowns are still the most preferred styles by brides these days, there’s no reason for you not to consider short wedding dresses. It can even serve as a “back up” dress or it can be used during the reception or when all the dancing during the reception begins!

Lost Lao Wai

Lost Laowai China Expat CommunityThe no-nonsense China expat and traveller community. Everything you need to know about travelling to China; living, teaching and working in China; and learning Chinese.